Apps & Software

10 Apps to Throw the Perfect Party

From whittling down an extensive guest list to preparing all the hors d’oeuvres, it takes a lot of time and effort to plan an unforgettable celebration.

So whether you’re coordinating an intimate reception or a pull-out-all-the-stops birthday bash, these 10 apps will help you streamline the process, and perhaps even leave you time to — gasp — enjoy the party.

This app has you covered from A to Z. Import guest lists, delegate tasks, set reminders or sync across multiple users, and Facetime them from within the app. A timeline option even lets you see exactly what needs to happen in real time.

Not sure if you want to put the tables right next to the stage? An augmented reality module lets you visualize your drag-and-drop seating charts on top of pictures of the venue.

The app makes the most sense for large-scale events, though it's useful to help you plan everything big and small.

It can be nearly impossible to get busy people to step up and help, even if they’re your friends.

PitchIn makes it easy to split up to-do lists. You’re notified when someone accepts a task and also when he or she completes it. And if you’re planning an event for which you aren’t footing the bill, PitchIn sends automatic payment reminders to guests, and they can send you money directly from the app.

Manage recipes, create menus, plan meals, share recipes and make shopping lists — all from this one app. Import your favorite online recipes or save those recipes from your old cookbooks, and use them to plan a personalized three-course meal.

Pepperplate generates its own shopping list and can scale recipes. Adding items to your shopping lists also automatically syncs it across devices. The app works in conjunction with the Pepperplate website, and works best as a meal organizer — that is, to help you organize what you need a week or month before the big day.

Whether you’re trying to decide what to give the host as a gift or what to serve guest with the steak, there are more than enough wines out there to confuse the best of us.

Hello Vino is like having a certified sommelier and an extremely thorough wine database constantly at your fingertips. Tell the app what you’re eating and it will give a pairing suggestion. You can also save the wines you love and list the wines you hate, so you can remember for the next gathering.

With more than 40 instructional videos featuring two award-winning mixologists, Speakeasy Cocktails is packed with information and more than 200 interactive recipes that will have you using the right type of salt in no time. You’ll learn the best recipes, techniques and supplies to buy.

Leave it to Ellen DeGeneres to develop the best technological upgrade of charades since its invention. Try to guess the word on the card that you place on your forehead — while the camera records your friends’ wild, hopefully embarrassing gestures — and then share the videos straight to Facebook. If this doesn’t save your party from boredom, nothing will.

Choose from 18 themed decks, such as animals, blockbuster movies and celebrities.

No party is complete without a little music. DJ it up with Party Mixer, which lets you play two songs simultaneously and also cross-fade between them. Just prep a playlist and play, or use AutoDJ mode and the app will do it for you.

A professional event planner helped design this app, which is essentially a less intimidating party planner.

It categorizes shopping and to-do lists, exports your lists to email, and records all the miscellaneous, easy-to-forget details. You can also create invitations and track RSVPs from within the app. The ability to send messages to all guests or only specific people is particularly helpful for surprise parties.

Last but not least, sometimes you just need a little strobe lighting to set the mood.

The app has six modes, including Police Lights, Strobe Light and Disco Light, which turn your phone into a graphical equalizer — the app flashes in time with the music once you let it “listen” to the surrounding sound. You can even flash lights in customizable Morse code (the default is the word “party”).

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